Bhubaneswar: Air Intelligence Unit of the customs department recovered gold bars weighing 661.5gms worth Rs 19.46 lakh from a passenger at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, an official said on Wednesday.

A customs official said Tamil Nadu native Ahmed Kabir, 46, reached the airport from Kuala Lumpur by an AirAsia flight on Monday.

"We found 33 screwdrivers in a toolbox during a routine baggage search. Upon enquiry, he claimed that he worked as a plumber in Kuala Lumpur," the official said.

"When we dismantled the screwdrivers, we found gold bars in the handles. The screwdrivers were designed to conceal the gold. Each bar weighed around 16-20gms," he said.

Later, officials found another gold bar weighing 50gms during a body search. Customs officials suspect that Kabir had a nexus with a gold smuggling racket.

"He initially claimed that he worked as a daily wager in Malaysia, but later claimed to being a plumber. We are interrogating him for further details," the official added.

This is the second incident of recovery of gold from the city airport after the first international flight became operational on April 26.

On May 10, the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence recovered gold weighing more than a kilogram, worth more than Rs 30 lakh, from two passengers.